Joan Walsh: Why does the GOP get away with saying tax cuts for the rich create jobs?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010 02:24 ET
Joan Walsh
Mitch McConnell's tax cut lies
Why does the GOP get away with saying tax cuts for the rich are "existing tax policy"? Or that they create jobs? Video
By Joan Walsh

I don't see the Park51 controversy as a mere distraction from the country's "real" issues of unemployment and economic trouble. What matters more than our nation's tradition of religious and political freedom? But it's clear to me that the "mosque" issue is this August's version of last August's "death panels" – another faux-Fox controversy manufactured by divisive right-wingers to keep us from focusing on our country's serious problems.

What would Republicans do without the "mosque" flap, if they had to vigorously defend, in detail, their economic program? Sunday on "Meet the Press," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was as preposterous as House Minority Leader John Boehner on the same show two weeks ago, blustering about having to account for how much extending the Bush tax cuts for the megarich – set to expire in 2011 -- will deepen the deficit. Just as Boehner sputtered and refused to answer repeatedly, then blamed "this Washington game and their funny accounting" for the vexing fact that protecting the megarich will add $3.2 trillion to the deficit, so did McConnell obfuscate. "Why did it all of a sudden become something that we, quote, 'pay for'?" McConnell asked host David Gregory, calling the tax cuts "existing tax policy."

It's hard to believe the entire country doesn't remember (with outrage) that Republicans under George W. Bush didn't have the courage to make the tax cuts permanent when they passed them in 2001. Phasing the cuts out in 2011 masked the enormous hit to the federal budget, and also ensured the GOP could pass them via reconciliation, with a simple majority. (Remember how Bolshevik that idea was when the Democrats proposed using it for healthcare reform?)

I also don't understand why, if as the Republicans claim, these tax cuts are the secret to job growth, two Bush terms only saw the number of jobs grow by 1.1 million, when jobs grew by 22.7 million under Bill Clinton, at the same time that taxes on the rich were higher. And that's according to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Politifact.com, which fact-checked a Bush-Clinton job-growth comparison made by liberal Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, and found he was wrong – he actually overestimated job growth under Bush.)

Oh, another McConnell whopper: He praised the Tea Party, saying "It's been entirely positive," even though of course Tea Party candidate Ron Paul defeated McConnell's handpicked choice for Kentucky's open Senate seat, Trey Greyson. It's becoming routine to see these "mainstream Republicans" lie about the Bush record, play to their fringe and squirm.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/joan_walsh/politics/2010/08/23/mitch_mcconnell_tax_lies/index.html

[JamesA1102]

1. Because most of the MSM are rich

and don't dispute their lies.

[Kalyke]

6. Actually, that's not true.

Most reporters are dirt poor.

The average news reporter makes between $27,351 - $48,921 a year. That's not so rich.

[Poboy]

12. "MSM" does NOT equal your 'reporter' catagory. -nt

[JamesA1102]

15. I wouldn't consider them in the MSN but

I should have said corporate or cable media.

[Kalyke]

16. Thanks.

I left that profession because I couldn't afford to pay mortgage AND eat.

I think you're more after "talking heads," many of whom don't have a J-school degree of any kind.

[spanone]

2. republicans get a pass from the media...had a dem said something as absurd, it woud be headlines

[kentuck]

3. Obviously the MSM does not want to inform the public..

Why?

[pansypoo53219]

10. it would make them question the gnews

and informing would make them WERK! it was so NICE during georgee. he would feed them.

[Kalyke]

21. Because they are owned by multinational corporations who

want a new fiefdom: the uber-rich "royalty" and the working-class "serfs" who are too scared to fight back.

[dtotire]

4. Clinton Raised Taxes, 22 Million Jobs Were Created

Republicans don't want to mention it. Bush cut taxes, the worst job creation period since Truman was President.

[laughingliberal]

5. I'd say if tax cuts for the rich really created jobs, unemployment would be about 2%. nt

[kentuck]

7. McConnell already voted to let the taxcuts expire.

That's what he voted for in 2001. They didn't want to make the taxcuts permanent. That's why they passed it by the reconciliation process.

Did he know the taxcuts would expire when he voted for them?

In effect, did he not vote for his own "tax increase"?

[Prophet 451]

8. Because the rich control the message machine

The media is controlled by two groups of people: Ultrarich moguls like Rupert Murdoch and corporations run by wealthy CEOs. By the nature of their wealth and class, both groups tend to be conservative (exceptions exist but are rare) and conservatives, by their nature, are all about fortifying the priviledge of the upper class (the aristocracy here, the rich in the USA).

[Iwillnevergiveup]

9. Joan Walsh is right up there

with Elizabeth Warren - sensible and very plain spoken. I'd like to see her on Rachel where she wouldn't get interrupted so much by panel bloviators like on Chris Matthews.

K&R

[alc]

11. make them prove it for capital gains tax

Index capital gains by number of US jobs created. My extremely simplified formula for stocks:
1) Number of US jobs over $x/hour+benefits at time of investment
2) US jobs over $x/hour+benefits one year after sale (won't help to sell right before a layoff/outsourcing)
3) Subtract 1 from 2 and divide by number of shares
4) Use 3 to index into a table where you pay 5% to 95% taxes

If you invest in a company that does a kick-ass job of creating good US jobs, you get a kick-ass tax rate. If you make money by shipping jobs over-seas you don't keep much. Maybe use % job increase or market cap instead of shares in 3, but there should be a way to make them prove job creation and encourage US job growth.

If they claim tax cuts create jobs, how can they turn down a 5% tax rate?

One of the problems with the entire argument on both sides is that the current tax lumps everyone together (most small businesses don't pay capital gains tax which is another problem since they get lumped in too by some people). A few DO create jobs, a lot more hurt jobs relative to the gains. But the tax code and the debaters don't differentiate. And people listening to the debate have enough examples to believe whichever side they want. If companies have to prove it, it doesn't matter who believes what.

[felinetta]

13. I've been asking that same question. Why don't spin heads ask Repigs this question?

[Greyhound]

14. Because "Democrats" let them.

This entire tissue of lies is easily dismissed, but that entails a bit of truth and a bit of education, so it will continuing for the foreseeable future.

[joeybee12]

17. Beat me to it....easily disproved, but Dems have no spine...

and somehow seem lately averse to telling the truth.

[Evasporque]

18. How many jobs were created in the years the Bush Tax Cuts were in effect...

Net...

Ahhh that would be negative 10 million jobs.

[Cal33]

19. The Dems. don't make use of the excellent opportunities

provided by the Neocons each time the Neocons make some dumb and stupid falsehood,
which could be pointed out, and which could provide days and weeks of public
scorn, derision and sarcasm. But most Dems. seem to be too lazy and apathetic.

"The Death Panel," for instance. And even the Supreme Court had recently
refused to hear a "frivolous" case based on Obama's being a "foreign-born Muslim."
The Neocons are still making use of their lie of Obama's being a Muslim,
and the Dems. are not taking advantage of this. They could do it even right now!
But they don't.

[Uncle Joe]

20. Because the corporate media; is loaded with conflict of interest and frankly they don't give a damn

about enlightening the vast majority of the American People as to the pros and cons of in-depth fiscal, tax, energy, environmental, drug, health care, foreign relation policies, ramifications and pertinent political records.

To the corporate media and their corporate clients' way of thinking, the smarter the American People are; the more challenging it becomes to sell them a product, candidate or down the river.

Thanks for the thread, Amerigo Vespucci.

[Little Star]

22. Good question.

I'd like to hear Bernie Sanders or perhaps Alan Grayson debunk that big fat lie!